Manufacture of non-inflammable celluloid.



of a plastic mass containing nitrated cellu-" UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcE.

LUQIEN LoUIs BETHISY, OF VILLENEUVE-LA-GARENNE, FRANCE.

MANUFACTURE OF NON-TNFLAMMABLE CELLULOITD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 21, 1908.

AppIication filed May- 4, 907. Serial No. avisap.

To all whom it may concern: i Be it known that I, LUCIEN Louis BE- THISY, a citizen of. the Republic of France, andresident of Villeneuve-la-G arenne, France, have invented a new and, useful Improvement in for Relating to the Manufacture of Non lnfiammable Celluloid, wh ich improvement is fully setforth in the following speci-' float-ion.

This invention relates ,to the manufacture lose (tetranitrocellulose) .having the double feature of not containin any camphor and of being non-inflam1nab.e. tained in the formof blocks, plates, tubes, sticks, bars, filaments and even in the liquid state (collodion).

The product can be used for the manufacture of all kinds of articles, and may replace other supplementaryv substances: Co-1n-- pression of the plastic mass thus 0 ta-ined: (glCutting an'ddrying of the compressed mass. v e

A. Nitmtion of ce Zl11l0se. Nitric acid and sulfuric acid are poured int a vessel in the proportion of 24 kilograms of nitric acid at 42 to 5fi'kilog r ams of sulfuric acid at 66. As this mixture brings about a great rise of temperature, the vessels must be placed in a current of coldwaiter. They are covered and left to stand until the temperature sinks to C. Then cellulose is added tothe above mixture of acids in the propor tion of 5 to 6 kilograms: After coming in contact with the mixed acids, the cellulose is converted into tetranitrocellulose, which is withdrawn from the vessel. It is removing the liquid acid still adhering to it. Then it is passed through a rotary stirring device and then into a tank Where it is submitted to the action of an energetic-current of water. I s B. Breaking up and bleacb'mg.The tetra- ,It can be ob- 1 nitrocellulose is then introduced into a paper or rag engine or the like, and gradually reduced to fine fragments. The mass is bleached in any well known manner. The paste is then mechanically, brought into draining devices on which it'is allowed'to rest. Having thus been freed from the largest portion of its excess of Water, the paste is placed in a hvdro-extractorto depriveit of all. but 40-45% of its water contents.

O. Grimling. -The tetranitrocellulose thus containing 40-45% of water is introduced into nut grinding mills with successive falls? ,at the first fall the nitrocellulose is reduced to pulp. Then about 5 by weight of a liquid hydrocarbon, preferably of essential oil of aspic or its chemical substitute, is added to it. ing substances are added to the massin order to obtain the desired color. 7

D. Conversion into paste.-The tetranitrocellulose having been ground with 40-45% of water, the Water is then removed by pressing the mass into thin cakes in a hydraulic press. Thesecakes are then crushed into very fine pieces andmoistened with a solvent of the following composition 1,-

Crystallizable' acetic acid- 0.800 kgs. Sulfuric ether at 20 Acetone 20 Amyl acetate' r j.15. Alcohol ]5. Solution of Unona selan'ica-at 10% 8.200,

The above proportions correspond to the moistening of 100 kilo rams of crushed cakes. For preparing theso vent in question, the operation is as follows :0.850 kilograms of Unona selanica are dissolvedin 7.750 kilo grams of sulfuric ether at 65; and the mixture is stirred from time to time during 24 hours and then filtered. The ether, acetic acid and acetone are mixed together, then after having stirred this mixture from time to time for a period of 12 hours, the solution of U'nona selamlca and sulfuric acid, prepared V separately, isadded to it. drained and placed in a hydro-extractor for Then the process is as follows :The whole of the amyl acetate is poured into a vat, whereupon the pulver- At the third fall suitable colorized pulp is added to it: The whole is left to stand for about 6 hours, and then stirred. The preparation of Unomt selan'ica, sulfuric ether, aceticacid and acetone, previously prepared, is then added and the whole is poured in. The Whole is introduced into a' the quality of thesubstance.

again left to stand for about 6 hours and then stirred. Finally, the whole of the alcohol is stirring device, and a 'aste is obtained which is left to stand for at east 24'hours in a very Warm place. I

E. solidificationr The paste is then out up and rolled between two cylinders heated to about 60and' it gradually becomes consistent. When it has reached a suitable de ree of consistency, the cylinders of the ro 'ng apparatus are cooled and the following substance poured on the paste '1; Boracic acid by weight parts. v Sulfuric acid by weight- '10 parts.

Calcic alcoholate at 75% by This solution is prepared as'follows: Ether is poured on boracic acid in order to obtain the reaction of a strong on a weak acid, then calcicalcoholate is added. The whole is left to rest for about 24 hours, stirring from time to time, then it is filtered (one kilogram of the mixture giving about 0.565 kilo ram of filtered solution). The calcic alcoholate thus prepared ves anethoxyl derivative of tetranitroce ulose which is tetranitro-oxycellulose. By the addition of sulfocyanid of ammonium, the acids are neutralized, without in any wa 'ter the addition of the said mixture, the rollin is continued until complete and thorou incorporation is made, The lastic r olle is then removed .from t e rolling m shape of more or less thick sheets, and inolosed into a well closed vessel. The product pre ared in the manner hereinbefore de-' scri ed is celluloid without camphor, and uninfiammable.

affecting roduct' in the.

. F. Compression-The substance thus prepared contains gas bubbles Which must be expelled, so asnot to have any empty space between the molecules of the substance. This result is obtained bysuperposin the sheets obtained in a steam box mounte on a hydraulic press. ,When the box is charged, the ressure is caused to increase, and when the atter remains fixed at 150 atmospheres, it is heated by steam toabout 90 for about 5 to 6 hours. Perfectlyihomogeneous plates without any faults are thus obtained.

pressure is raised to two hundred atmospheres, and at the sametime the steam current is replaced by an energeticcurrent of water as cold as possiblewhich is caused to act for several hours: and under the action of cold the material becomes ver hard.

G. Cutting and d'1'ytng.'-The obtained'are cut u into sheets and laced in a'dr ing kiln or ot erwise dried. I it is desired to convert the lastic product into tubesl, rods, bars, or ffiaments, it is introduced, on leaving the rolling mill, into a pressin apparatus provided with suitable draw-p ates or the like. Claims.

A lastic material obtained by the action of a ydrocarbon (preferably essential oil of aspi'c or its chemical substitute) on tetrani-trocellulose," the; mass being subsequentl subjected to'theaction of a mixture of su vfuric acid, ether, acetone, acetate of ainyl,

alcohol-and a'solution of Unona sclan'ica.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LUCIEN LOUIS BETHISY.

Witnesses:

EMILE LEDRET, I'IANSON O. CoxE.

locks thus 55 While they are still in the state ofv a. paste, the 

